Method for preparing control tapes

Claim 1

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: scanning the surface to obtain data representing the coordinates of a plurality of points measured relative to at least two predetermined axes of the surface, optimizing the data by progressively examining the coordinates to identify points the coordinates of which represent a change in one coordinate value as between a point and a previous point of greater than a predetermined reference value for a given change between the other coordinate values of said points and previous point, and storing on said record only those points so identified.

Claim 2

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: scanning the surface to obtain data representing the coordinates of a plurality of points measured relative to at least two predetermined axes of the surface, optimizing the data by progressively examining the coordinates to identify points the coordinates of which represent a change in one coordinate value as between a point and a previous point of greater than a predetermined reference value for a given change between the other coordinate values of said points and previous point, and storing on said record only those points so identified.

Claim 3

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: scanning the surface along a first axis and at a predetermined coordinate along a second orthogonal axis and measuring the displacement of the surface relative to a third orthogonal axis to obtain data representing the coordinates of a plurality of points on the surface, optimizing the data by progressively examining the coordinates to determine those coordinates which represent a change iN one coordinate value relative to the same coordinate of a previous point of greater than a predetermined reference value for a given change between the other coordinate values of said points and previous points, and storing on said record only those points so identified.

Claim 4

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: scanning the surface along a first axis and at a predetermined coordinate along a second orthogonal axis and measuring the displacement of the surface relative to a third orthogonal axis to obtain data representing the coordinates of a plurality of points on the surface, optimizing the data by progressively examining the coordinates to determine those coordinates which represent a change iN one coordinate value relative to the same coordinate of a previous point of greater than a predetermined reference value for a given change between the other coordinate values of said points and previous points, and storing on said record only those points so identified.

Claim 6

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner probe over the surface through predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the probe path along the second axis at each of the increments to obtain data representing the axial coordinates of a plurality of points, storing the data, optimizing the data by progressively examining the coordinates to identify points the coordinates of which represent a change in one coordinate value relative to the same coordinate of a previous point of greater than a predetermined reference value for a given change between the other coordinate values of said points and previous point, and storing on said record only those points so identified.

Claim 7

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner probe over the surface through predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the probe path along the second axis at each of the increments to obtain data representing the axial coordinates of a plurality of points, storing the data, optimizing the data by progressively examining the coordinates to identify points the coordinates of which represent a change in one coordinate value relative to the same coordinate of a previous point of greater than a predetermined reference value for a given change between the other coordinate values of said points and previous point, and storing on said record only those points so identified.

Claim 8

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner probe over the surface from an initial point through at least two predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the probe to obtain data representing the axial coordinates of at least three spaced points along the first axis, storing the data, optimizing the data by effectively determining the distance between the second of the points and a chord extending between the first and third of the points, comparing the distance to a predetermined reference distance, and transferring to the numerical control record only the coordinates of the first point and any subsequent point for which the distance so determined at least equals the predetermined reference distance.

Claim 9

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner probe over the surface from an initial point through at least two predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the probe to obtain data representing the axial coordinates of at least three spaced points along the first axis, storing the data, optimizing the data by effectively determining the distance between the second of the points and a chord extending between the first and third of the points, comparing the distance to a predetermined reference distance, and transferring to the numerical control record only the coordinates of the first point and any subsequent point for which the distance so determined at least equals the predetermined reference distance.

Claim 10

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner probe over the surface from an initial point through a plurality of predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the probe to obtain data representing the axial coordinates of a plurality of points and along the first axis, storing the data, optimizing the data by sequentially comparing the distances from chords extending between an initial point and progressively spaced subsequent points to given points intermediate the initial and subsequent points to a reference distance until a distance so compared at least equals the reference distance, and transferring to the numerical control record only the coordinates of the initial point and any such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance.

Claim 11

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner probe over the surface from an initial point through a plurality of predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the probe to obtain data representing the axial coordinates of a plurality of points and along the first axis, storing the data, optimizing the data by sequentially comparing the distances from chords extending between an initial point and progressively spaced subsequent points to given points intermediate the initial and subsequent points to a reference distance until a distance so compared at least equals the reference distance, and transferring to the numerical control record only the coordinates of the initial point and any such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance.

Claim 12

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner probe over the surface from an initial point through a plurality of predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the probe to obtain data Representing the axial coordinates of a plurality of points along the first axis, storing the data, optimizing the data by sequentially comparing the distances from chords extending between an initial point and progressively spaced subsequent points to given points intermediate the initial and subsequent points to a reference distance until a distance so compared at least equals the reference distance, thereafter comparing the distance from chords extending between the first such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance and at least one subsequent point to a second given point intermediate the first such given point and the second given point to the predetermined reference distance, and transferring to the numerical control record only the coordinates of the initial point and any such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance.

Claim 13

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner probe over the surface from an initial point through a plurality of predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the probe to obtain data Representing the axial coordinates of a plurality of points along the first axis, storing the data, optimizing the data by sequentially comparing the distances from chords extending between an initial point and progressively spaced subsequent points to given points intermediate the initial and subsequent points to a reference distance until a distance so compared at least equals the reference distance, thereafter comparing the distance from chords extending between the first such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance and at least one subsequent point to a second given point intermediate the first such given point and the second given point to the predetermined reference distance, and transferring to the numerical control record only the coordinates of the initial point and any such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance.

Claim 14

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner over the surface from an initial point through a plurality of predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the surface at each of the increments to obtain data representing the axial coordinates of a plurality of points on the surface and along the first axis, recording the data in a digital form, optimizing the data by sequentially comparing the distances from chords extending between an initial point and progressively spaced subsequent points to given points intermediate the initial and subsequent points to a reference distance until a distance so compared at least equals the reference distance, thereafter comparing the distance from chords extending between the first such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance and at least one subsequent point to a second given point intermediate the first such given point and the second given point to the predetermined reference distance, and transferring to the numerical control record only the coordinates of the initial point and any such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance.

Claim 15

A method for producing a numerical control record containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner over the surface from an initial point through a plurality of predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the surface at each of the increments to obtain data representing the axial coordinates of a plurality of points on the surface and along the first axis, recording the data in a digital form, optimizing the data by sequentially comparing the distances from chords extending between an initial point and progressively spaced subsequent points to given points intermediate the initial and subsequent points to a reference distance until a distance so compared at least equals the reference distance, thereafter comparing the distance from chords extending between the first such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance and at least one subsequent point to a second given point intermediate the first such given point and the second given point to the predetermined reference distance, and transferring to the numerical control record only the coordinates of the initial point and any such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance.

Claim 16

A method for producing a numerical control tape containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner over the surface from an initial point through a plurality of predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the surface at each of the increments to obtain data representing the axial coordinates of a plurality of points on the surface and along the first axis, storing the data in digital form in a buffer storage unit, optimizing the data in a digital computer having access to the buffer storage unit by sequentially comparing the distances from chords extending between an initial point and progressively spaced subsequent points to given points intermediate the initial and subsequent points to a reference distance until a distance so compared at least equals the reference distance, thereafter comparing the distance from chords extending between the first such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance and at least one subsequent point to a second given point intermediate the first such given point and the second given point to the predetermined reference distance, and transferring to the numerical control tape under the control of the computer only the coordinates of the initial point and any such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance.

Claim 17

A method for producing a numerical control tape containing coordinate data defining a surface contour to a predetermined degree of accuracy comprising the steps of: placing a part defining the surface in a reference position to establish at least first and second mutually perpendicular measurement axes, displacing a scanner over the surface from an initial point through a plurality of predetermined increments along the first axis and measuring the coordinates of the surface at each of the increments to obtain data representing the axial coordinates of a plurality of points on the surface and along the first axis, storing the data in digital form in a buffer storage unit, optimizing the data in a digital computer having access to the buffer storage unit by sequentially comparing the distances from chords extending between an initial point and progressively spaced subsequent points to given points intermediate the initial and subsequent points to a reference distance until a distance so compared at least equals the reference distance, thereafter comparing the distance from chords extending between the first such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance and at least one subsequent point to a second given point intermediate the first such given point and the second given point to the predetermined reference distance, and transferring to the numerical control tape under the control of the computer only the coordinates of the initial point and any such given point for which the distance so compared at least equals the reference distance.